A Leap for Japan's Women - and Its Economy

A Leap for Japan's Women - and Its Economy

Article excerpt

Tokyo, which is one of the world's largest cities, just elected
its first female governor, Yuriko Koike. In Japan, a country far
behind in advancing women in the workplace, her election is a
milestone. The former TV newscaster likens her victory more to a
break in a sheet of steel than a crack in the glass ceiling. What
helped her defeat two male opponents? A big factor was her focus on
a main issue for Tokyo families: long waiting lists for daycare.

Enabling more women to work has become essential for Japan, the
world's third largest economy. The country's economic growth has
been largely stagnant for nearly a quarter century despite high
government spending and other financial stimuli. One obvious reform
is to improve the rate of female participation in the labor force,
which helps drive consumer demand and improves productivity. If
Japan were to achieve a rate similar to northern Europe, according
to the International Monetary Fund, it would increase its gross
domestic product per capita by 10 percent.

The current prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has been trying for four
years to improve conditions for working women. He has increased
childcare places and lessened the tax on families' second earners.
But he admits that attitudes about gender roles in Japan are
"unwittingly, firmly ingrained within us. …